Leaving Lakes

City Clerk, Once The Longest-serving City Employee, Retires After 36 Years.

October 11, 1998|By CHRISTINE WALKER Staff Writer

LAUDERDALE LAKES — Audrey Tolle was the city clerk almost as long as there was a city.

Lauderdale Lakes was established in 1961; Tolle was hired on Jan. 21, 1963. She retired almost 36 years later on Oct. 2, 1998.

Added to the list of dates jumbled in her mind is Sept. 23 _ her final City Commission meeting.

A few days later she slit open one of the last bags of chocolate she would pour into the candy jar she stocked for commissioners and other employees.

``I don't know whether I'll be happy or unhappy,'' said Tolle, of Plantation.

She contemplated retirement a few years ago, but Vice Mayor Sam Goldstein talked her out of it.

``I have nothing planned to do in my spare time,'' said Tolle from behind her ``A Cluttered Desk is the Mark of Genius'' deskplate. On the wall a computer-generated sign declares: ``Real Women Don't Have Hot Flashes. They Have Power Surges.''

``The city has been my life,'' she said.

But with the city heading in a different direction under a city manager form of government, Tolle said it's time to go.

``There's a lot of things planned for the city,'' she said. ``I'm going to be 73 in January. I'm too old to go back to school. I guess it's better for new blood. I'm partially thinking of the city, partially of myself.''

Once the longest-serving city employee, Tolle used to prepare the budget after council members, now called commissioners, did the figuring. She would calculate salaries, in addition to being the custodian of city records.

``She's really good,'' said Goldstein, the senior member of the commission, who Tolle first encouraged to run for office. ``She has rendered great service.''

Tolle was born in New Jersey and arrived in South Florida in 1948, two weeks before her daughter was born. Her husband joined her later and she had two sons, in 1950 and 1954.

Her parents, who were living in Fort Lauderdale, had persuaded them to move. Tolle did some work for attorneys and also some waitressing before landing at City Hall, which at the time was a construction shack on the east side of State Road 7.

A part-time police chief, part-time building official and Tolle shared the cramped quarters.

``I always said if we wanted to change our mind we had to go outside and do it because there wasn't enough room inside to do it,'' she said.

Tolle remembers council meetings that lasted until 2 a.m. Back then, meetings were held weekly. Finally, an ordinance was enacted that required council approval if meetings stretched beyond 11 p.m.

Council meetings used to be held in the utility plant where the Broward County water plant is now. Then the city moved into offices near State Road 7 and Northwest 41st Street.

``When they first put up City Hall, we had people picketing,'' Tolle said. ``They didn't feel we needed a City Hall.''

During Tolle's last week on the job, Public Works Director Cliff Goodin offered a suggestion for the woman who arises at 6 a.m. each morning: Prop a few pillows behind that back and read a book instead of getting out of bed.

Then he grasped both her hands and kissed her on the cheek.

Upon further consideration, retirement doesn't seem so bad, Tolle said.

She will have more time to spend with her eight grandchildren in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Utah.

She missed her grandson's wedding because it fell in the middle of budget planning sessions. Now she'll have time to enjoy her vacations to the utmost.